Car-door.



No. 709,269. Patenmd's'ept. ls, |902; l A s...|. JoHNsoN.

CAR D008.

(Application nea may '7, 1901.)`

(No Mader.) 4

SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON, OF NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,269, dated September 16, 1902. I Application filed May '7, 1901. Serial No. 59,158. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SINOLAIR J. JOHNSON, a citizen ofthe United States, residingin Nutley, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Doors, of which the following is a specification. Y

t This invention relates to doors, andespecially to that class of' doors adapted for use on freight-cars; and it more particularly relates to an improved mechanism for shifting the door into position so that it can be moved away from the doorway, the object of the invention being to providev an improved door actuating or shifting mechanism effective to permit the door when in its closed position to be iiush with the door-casing or Wall of the car-body and to permit it to be moved into its open position with facility and with comparativelylittle labor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved actuating mechanism which is not only simple in construction and operation and effective in use, but is organized in such manner that the major part thereof is supported free of the door, whereby the door can be more readily shifted.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide improved means for limiting the upward movement of the door.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view of a part of a car-body with this improved organization of door-shifting mechanism carried thereby. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of such mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the door and car-body, showing this improved mechanism in end eleva tion. Fig. 4 is a View of another form of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a portion of the car-body and door, showing this latter form of mechanism in end elevation. Figs. 6 and 7 are partly-sectional views illustrating the means for limiting the upward movement of the door. Fig. Sis a sectional view of the door and car-body, illustrating the position of the bottom of the door when such door has been shifted in the manner shownin Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a similar view illustrating the position of the bottom of the door when the `door has been shifted into the position shown in Fig. 7.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the different figuresA of the drawings.

The present organization is an improvement in part upon that shown and described in my contemporaneously-pending application, Serial No. 29,879, tiled September 13, 1900, now Patent No. 685,376, dated October 29, 1901, and is also an improvement in part on the structure shown and described in my contemporaneously-pending application, Serial No. 56,852, iiled April 22, 1901, now Patent No. 685,379, dated October 29, 19101.

In the form of actuating mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 a track 2 is secured to the car-body 8 above the door, and on this track is located hangenmechanism shown comprising a plurality of hangers, shown in said figures as comprising three in number, which hangers 4, 5, and 6 may in practice be provided with rolls 7, engaging said track, such hangers being usually so constructed as to prevent play thereof on the track. These hangers, which are shown located relatively remote to each other, are connected to the door by suitable supporting means, designated herein as rock-shaft mechanism, for which purpose the door is provided with a pair of plates 8 and 9, having ears or lugs 10. Journaled in a pair of the hangers, as 5 and 6, is a rock-shaft 12, having crankarms, one arm 12 of which is bolted or pivoted to one of the door-plates, as 9, the other arm 12l being connected by a suitable connector or link 13 with a member or lever 14, pivoted to the hanger 5. The opposite side of the door is connected with the hanger 4, which is shown located adjacent thereto, by a crank 15, which is pivoted to plate 8 and journaled in said hanger, and which crank 15 is by a suitable connector or link 16 connected with a member or lever 14, pivoted to said hanger 4, said levers 14 and 14 being connected by a coupling member 17, constituting an equalizing or variablemotion means. For shifting this combined crank and rock-shaft mechanism actuating means is provided comprising a rod or bar 18, the upper end of which is shown con- IOO nected with said coupling member 17, substantially centrally thereof. This rod 18 is maintained in position on the door by a suitable keeper 19 and has its lower end secured to an angle-lever 20, pivoted to theA door, which angle-lever 20 carries a suitable pawl 21, adapted to engage a ratchet 22, formed in the edge of a guide member 23, bolted to the door. The equalizing tneans prevents undue strain on the actuating mechanism should one side of the door become stuck or jammed, while also permitting one side of the door to be thrown into its flush position, with the other side outside the doorway to leave an opening for the purpose of airing the car. 2O to the right it will be'seen that the actuator is drawn downwardly, thereby throwing the outer ends of the pivoted members 14 and 14' upwardly, and so moving t-he door upwardly and outwardly from its flush position in the doorway and into position free of such doorway to enable it to be shifted edgewise on the track, which edgewise movement may be toward either end of the car. Suitable stops (not shown) are usually provided, however, to prevent the movement of such door in one direction.

The form of dooractuating mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which is considered the preferred form thereof, is substantially similar to that just described, except in place of the set of three hangers only two are provided, as 5' and 6, one located preferably adjacent to each upper corner of the door and corresponding in position with the hangers 4 and 6, hereinbefore described. These hangers 5' and 6 are likewise connected with the door by rock-shaft mechanism, comprising in this instance, however, a single rock-shaft 12"', .journaled in the hangers and having crank-arms l2 and 12b pivoted or bolted to the plates 8 and 9, secured to the door. One of the crank-arms is connected by a link 16' with a member or level' 14", pivoted to the hanger 5', which is by a suitable coupling member 17' connected with the actuator 18', shown pivoted at its upper end tothe door and having a laterally-extending arm 1S", jointed to said coupling member 17. This actuator is maintained in position by a suitable guidebar 23', bolted to the door, at the inner side of which said actuator swings. The link 16' may have its lower end located intermediate the crank-arm 12a and an arm 12, projecting from the rock-shaft. In this construction it will be seen that only one pivoted member 14", connecting the actuator with the supporting means, is necessary, so that the mechanismismuch simpler than that iirst described.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the major part of the actuating means is located free of and (shown in the present instance) above the door, whereby the door is free ot' the weight thereof, and consequently can be shifted with greater facility and with much On throwing the angle-levery less power. By locating the member 14' or 14" on the hanger at the outer side of and adjacent to the track the under end of the hanger willbe thrown inward when the actuator is shifted and the upper kend thereof outward, thereby tilting the hanger to obtain a binding action of such hanger on the track, and so prevent the too free movement of the door sidewise.

The door is provided with a suitable handle 25, whereby the bottom may be drawn out from its flush position when the door has been shifted upwardly and outwardly,so that the door can be shifted edgewise away from doorway. Y

For maintaining the bottom of the door in its flush position and for guiding it in its edgewise movement away from the doorway suitable means is provided, shown in the present instance as comprising an angleiron or bar 30, secured to the door, the ends of which are in position to engage suitable brackets 3l, secured to the car-body at the corners of the doorway, the door being cut away at its two lower corners for this purpose, such brackets being beveled at their inner upper edges 32 to facilitate the shifting of the door. The ends of the bar engage the brackets in the rear of the beveled parts thereof when the door is in its iush position and so maintain the bottom of the door in `such position.

In the ordinary operation of the door when it is shifted upwardly and outwardly the bottom of the door is pulled outwardly by means of the handle 25 into the position shown in Fig. 9, in which position such door-bottom is supported by the brackets and guided thereby and by similar brackets (not shown) secured to the car-wall when the door is shifted sidewise of the doorway.

In order to prevent the door from (being shifted upward too far, and so throw the bottom thereof out of engagement with the brackets, suitable means is provided, which in the form shown comprises a stop or stops 35, each of which in the present instance is shown as shiftable. In the form of mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 two stops are provided, while in the form shown in Fig. 4only one is needed'. Each stop is shown as an angle member pivotally secured to one of the hangers, whereby it is shiftable. When two stops are used, they are preferably located on the hangers 4 and 6; but when only one is used it is preferably located on the hanger 5'.

In the position shown in Fig. 7 each stop is in place to engage a stop-face 36, carried on the door and preferably formed either on the plate 8 or on both plates 8 and 9, as the case may be, whereby in this position when the door is shifted upwardly and outwardly the bottom is still maintained in position to engage Ithe brackets. (See Fig. 9.)

Frequently when freight has fallen against the door it is impossible to slide the door on its track away from the doorway, even after IOO it has been pulled out of its iiush position, so

that it has been necessary at timesin some constructions of doors to chop a portion of the door away in order to release the same from the binding action of the freight. Consequently if the `door can be released from the brackets at the bottom of the doorway this will enable it to be swung outward, (see Fig. 8,) and so release it from the binding action of freight `which may have fallen against it. To permit this, I haveshown the stop or stops 35 shiftable, whereby when it is found impracticable to shift the door away from the doorway,owing to the binding action of freight which may have fallen against it, then by simply shifting the stop or stops into the position shown in Fig. 6 the door can be moved farther upward and to such an extent that the bottom thereof will be free of the brackets, (see Fig. 8,) whereupon the bottom can be swung outwardly and in this position shifted edgewise of the doorway. In this position of the stop or stops the door is prevented from being shifted farther upward, since as the stop is formed as an angle member the edge of the angle portion engages the outer side of the hanger and so limits the movement of such stop, which in turn prevents further upward movement of the door should the act-uator be worked too hard by being in position to engage thestop 35.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the stop or stops 35 are not only effective to prevent the disengagement of the bottom of the door from its supporting-brackets but are also adapted to permit such disengagement when necessary to swing the bottom of the door outwardly for any reason while still limiting the upward movement of the door.

It is of course to be understood that this actuating mechanism may be applied to other doors than car-doors, if desired, so that the term car-body or car-door7 as used herein and in the claims is in no sense to be construed as a limiting one.

If desired, thislimproved door limiting means could be used with other doors than flush doors.

In the present instance the stop or stops are shown as gravity-stops, whereby they fall by their own weight into their first door-limiting position when the door is dropped downwardly.

I d esire to state that I consider a crank or crank-shaft as the equivalent of a rock-shaft, and therefore the term rock-shaft as used herein and in the claims is intended to iny clude such a device.

of the door, the major part of the mechanism being located above and free of the door.

2. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above the door, hangers shiftably mounted on said track; means connecting the door with each hanger to control its lateral movement into an upward and outward one and integral to cause the same movement of the door with reference to each hanger; a lever connected to said means and operatingin a plane parallel to the side of the car; and an actuator also operating parallel to the side of the car and connected to said lever through means operating only parallel to the side of the car.

3. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said car-body; a set of hangers mounted on `said track; rock-shaft mechanism connecting one side of said door with a pair of said hangers; crank mechanism connecting the other side of said door with another of said hangers; and actuating means connected with said mechanisms for shifting the door upwardly and outwardly..

4. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above the doorway; a plurality of hangers mounted on said track; rock-shaft mechanism connecting a pair of said hangers with the door; crank mechanism connecting another of said hangers with the door; variable-motion means connected with said mechanisms; and actuating means connected with said variable-motion means and effective to shift the door upwardly and outwardly into position to be moved away from the doorway.

5. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means supporting said door on said body for movement upwardly and outwardly; au actuator; means cooperating with the bottom of the door; and a stop or stops carried free of the door for limiting the upward movement of the door and eective to prevent the disengagement of the bottom of the door from its cooperating means,

(i. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means for supporting said door on said body for upward and outward movement; an actuator connected with said. supporting means; means coperating with the bottom of the door; and a stop or stops carried free of the door and eective at one period to prevent the disengagement of said door from its bottom cooperating means and at another period to permit such disengagement.

'7. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means for supporting said door on said body for upward movement; and shiftable means for limiting the upward movement of the door.

8. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means for supporting said door on said body for upward move- IIO ment; and shiftable means having a plurality of door-limiting positions.

9. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means for supporting said door on said body for upward movement; means cooperating with the bottom of the door; and shiftable means having a plurality of door-limiting positions, said means effective in one position to prevent the disengagement of the bottom of the door from its cooperating means andin another position to permit such disengagement while still limiting the upward movement of the door.

10. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of means for supporting said door on said body for movement upwardly and outwardly; actuating means; a shiftable stop or stops for limiting the upward movement of the door; and brackets cooperating with the bottom of said door, said stop or stops being effective in one position to prevent the disengagement of the door from the brackets and in another position to permit such disengagement.

l1. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above said doorway; hanger mechanism mounted on said track; supporting means connecting said hanger mechanism with said door; an actuator effective to shift-the door upwardly and outwardly; and shiftable means connected with said hanger mechanism for limiting the upward movement of the door.l i

l2. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above the doorway; hanger mechanism mounted on said track; supporting means connecting said hanger mechanism with said door; an actuator effective to shift the door upwardly and outwardly; a shiftable stop connected with said hanger mechanism for limiting the upward movement of the door; and means coperating with the bottom of the door, said stop being eective in one position to prevent-the disengagement of the bottom of the door from said cooperating means and in another position to permit such disengagement.

13. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above said doorway; hanger mechanism mounted on said track; supporting means connecting said hanger mechanism with said door and embodying rock-shaft mechanism; an actuator effective to shift the door upwardly and outwardly; brackets cooperating with the bottom of the door; and a shiftable stop or stops located yabove the door for limiting the upward movement of said door.

. 14. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said body above said doorway; hanger mechanism mounted on said track; supporting means connecting said hanger mechanism with said door and embodying rock-shaft mechanism; an actuator elfective to shift the door upwardly and outwardly; brackets supporting the bottom of the door; and a shiftable stop or stops located above the door and having a plurality of door-limiting positions.

l5. The combination with a car-body having a doorway and a door, of a track secured to said ybody above said doorway; hanger mechanism shiftable thereon; rock shaft mechanism connecting said hanger mechanism with the door; a swinging actuator 1ocated adjacent to one end of said rock-shaft mechanism and pivoted at its upper end to the door and shiftable in the plane thereof and effective to shift the door upwardly and outwardly; and a lever pivoted to said hanger mechanism adjacent to and at the outer side of said track and connected with said actuator and rock-shaft mechanism.

SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

C. A. WEED, C. L. RUSSELL. 

